The present invention relates to water wells and more particularly to improvements in pump components.
1. Field of the Invention
Water well pumping apparatus usually comprises a pump cylinder lowered into a well bore on the depending end of a tubing string. The cylinder having means at its lowermost end for supporting a check valve generally referred to as a standing valve. A gas anchor, such as a length of perforated screened pipe, may depend axially from the cylinder, if desired. A string of sucker rods are installed in the tubing, and supports at its lowermost end, a hollow plunger having a top end traveling valve, within the cylinder. The plunger has an annular seal or seals which contacts the inner periphery of the cylinder for progressively lifting fluid to exit the surface of the earth at the upper limit of the tubing string by the vertical reciprocating action of the sucker rods by a suitable mechanism at the surface of the earth. Up stroke of the sucker rods reduces the pressure in the cylinder below the plunger to open the standing valve and draw water into the depending end portion of the cylinder. Downward movement of the sucker rods and plunger closes the standing valve and opens the traveling valve for moving water through the plunger into the cylinder above the position of the annular seal or seals. Subsequent upward movement of the sucker rods closes the plunger top valve by gravity and the static head and lifts the water above the plunger seals toward the surface of the earth while simultaneously repeating the opening of the standing valve and filling the depending end of the cylinder.
The above described water well pumping apparatus is improved by this invention by providing an improved type plunger cup which by its manner of construction improves its seal with the inner periphery of the cylinder by the static head and has a long useful life and further provides an improved standing valve seating and retrieval device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 430,919 issued Jun. 24, 1890 to Campbell, et al for oil pump, and U.S. Pat. No. 1,039,496 issued Sep. 24, 1912 to Daniels, et al for expanding sleeve for standing valve are considered good examples of the state-of-the-art. The Campbell et al patent discloses a series of cup shaped seals around the centrally bored plunger sealing with the wall of a working barrel, and a standing valve which is tethered to the plunger for removal therewith as a unit.
The Daniels, et al patent discloses a plunger seal of the cylindrical type and a standing valve also tethered to the plunger.
This invention is believed distinctive over these and other similar patents by providing a plurality of cup-like seals on a pump plunger in which the outwardly flared upwardly tapering wall of the cup seal is biased outward into engagement with the inner periphery of the surrounding cylinder by the static head of fluid and upward movement of the plunger. Further, this invention provides a frangible coupler between the depending end of the plunger and the standing valve which is shattered at the time of installation of the standing valve in the depending end of the working cylinder.